


Making a Difference

by musikurt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-14
Updated: 2010-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 04:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/377409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/pseuds/musikurt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amelia wants to make a difference, but realizes she needs to do it in a different way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making a Difference

Flitwick enjoyed going to the annual social event for professors from around the world that was hosted by the Salem Institute. It was a great opportunity to meet with all of his colleagues and to share ideas on teaching, research, and life. He also enjoyed meeting some of the brightest students at the Institute.

"Amelia is one of our best Charms students," the professor smiled as he introduced her to Filius Flitwick, his colleague from the United Kingdom. "In fact, she might be one of the best students we have here at the Salem Institute."

"Ah, yes," Flitwick smiled as he took her hand. "I have heard talk of your advances in the area of levitating heavy objects. The applications of your work could not only serve to help Muggles better understand their flying machines, but possibly even help Wizards to blend in a bit more in the Muggle world."

"Well," Amelia responded, "my goal is really just to make flying safer for Muggles. I figure if we could enchant all of their flying machines, it would be a great service to them and hopefully make it less likely for them to crash. Why they take the risk I still can't quite understand, but it is one of their most efficient methods of traveling long disances."

"Something tells me that the North American Wizarding authorities are not going to just let you start enchanting Muggle objects, especially when you want to do something that defies their science," Flitwick pointed out.

"Well, that's part of the work I think I need to do in terms of convincing them. They need to see the importance of this."

"I wish you luck, young woman, because in matters like this they are likely not to be easily convinced."

"We will see how it goes. But appreciate your sentiment."

"How exactly do you hope to convince him?" her professor asked, very intrigued at the notion presented by this young woman.

"Well, I hope to appeal to their sense of decency and to their heart. How can we stand idly by and not help them? They are talking about starting passenger flights where they will bring large groups of Muggles up into the air at a time. Clearly this is something they are not quite ready for and it is nothing short of sanctioning their deaths for us to not step in."

"Amelia," the professor replied with a frown, "you of all people know that it is not our place as Wizards to interfere in the Muggle world. There are certain advantages to which we are privy, but we also have the negative aspects that go along with it. If we start blending the two worlds too much, then we would likely bring about the collapse of both."

"But if they don't know?"

"That's actually worse, Amelia," Flitwick added. "If they don't know, it gives them a false sense of what they can accomplish. Instead of protecting them from making decisions that put themselves in danger, they will be more likely to try doing things that are well beyond the realm of possibility in the constraints of their world. If we remove the consequences of their bad decisions, they'll never learn from their mistakes. And if we start enchanting these machines now, we'll have to continue forever. They'll never improve on it because they won't know that anything is wrong. What you're proposing doesn't help them - it actually is a very dangerous notion."

"I have to respectfully disagree with you, Professor. I feel like by ensuring their safety, we are doing them a great service. This way, things will probably go wrong for them, but instead of dying as a results, they'll land and be able to make things better."

"Do you really believe that?" Flitwick inquired. "Or will they think it was a fluke? Will they think there was a problem, but it's not worth investigation because it clearly did not put them in any sorts of danger."

"I guess that is one way of looking at it, but it doesn't solve everything. It is an approach that just does not sit well with me and I'm not sure if I can live with it."

"Well, here's hoping you can find a Council that sees eye to eye with you."

***

"I understand that you believe that we need to refrain from doing anything that interferes with the Muggle world, but this is incredibly important. I'm not sure they understand the risks involved in trying to push these machines to go longer and longer distances." Amelia was at her wits end. She had been trying for three years to get permission to go forward with her plan, and her presentation to the Wizards' Council was her final appeal.

"While I think every one of us understands your concerns, if the Muggles act like fools, it is their folly. Just as we regularly push the boundaries of magic through experimentation, they do the same with science. Sometimes we get ahead of our time, and sometimes they get ahead as well. To interfere would not only risk exposing the Wizarding world, but it would also have a profound impact on the Muggle world as well," the stern looking Chair of the Council replied.

"But Muggles are going to DIE!"

"And at the risk of sounding cold, that is not our concern," one of the other Council members responded. "If out actions were to interfere in their world in such a way that we would be putting them in danger, perhaps we would step in. We are not, however, going to meddle in their affairs when there is no clear reason for us to do so."

"I must say that I am incredibly disappointed with the lack of concern of this Council and of Wizards in general," Amelia replied, a sense of dejection apparent in her voice.

"Amelia," the Chair spoke up again, "we realize you have strong ties to the Muggle world. As a Muggle-born Witch, we would never expect you to toss aside your own heritage as it is a core aspect of who you are. But you must also recognize that this is something we just cannot authorize. If we involve ourselves here, how are we going to keep ourselves from getting involved in Muggle wars, outbreaks of illness, and other disasters and calamities for which we are clearly not responsible. It is not our place."

"Well, then I think my decision is made," Amelia replied. After a short pause, she continued. "I'm afraid I must leave the Wizarding world behind me. I am very appreciative of the education you have provided me, but I cannot just stand idly by when I see an area in which I can help."

"You realize," the Chair of the Council replied with a frown, "that if you officially denounce our ways, you will be expected to turn over your wand and will be banned from using any sort of magic for the rest of your life. If you do, you will be arrested and imprisoned for the rest of your life."

"I am fully aware of the consequences of my decision. But, at the same time, I am distinctly aware of what happens if I fail to act."

"I don't mean to demean your decision in any way, Amelia," one of the Council members added, "but what do you hope to accomplish?"

"Well," she said, a bit of indignation present in her voice, "if I cannot help Muggles advance their aviation field through my advanced study and skills in magic, then I shall join them as a Muggle and do everything I can to help push the limits and keep people safe."

"That is noble, Amelia, and we wish you luck," the Chair replied. "If you will, we have to ask you to turn over your wand to the Sergeant-at-Arms." Amelia pulled her wand from her pocket and handed it to the man by the door as instructed. She watched with tears welled up in her eyes as he walked it over to the Chair of the Council. With clear hesitation, the Chair took the wand in both hands and snapped in two.

Amelia paused for a moment as if she had something more to say before she turned away from the table and exited through the door. She would be lying if she said she was completely certain this was the path she should take. But she knew that she was passionate about aviation and this was probably the only way she could make a difference for her friends and family and for both Muggles and Wizards for generations to come.


End file.
